Before God makes us permanent partakers of His divine nature who have been enabled to already enjoy eternal life in their spirits while living on this earth, He puts us through severe acid soapsuds that rob us of all illusion, both of what we thought we were and of what we might have seen in others. I am speaking of being stripped off from the ability to ever put man on a pedestal any more. Eventually, we see that, truly, only ONE is good, that is, our Father who is in Heaven.

It is important to see that there are two ways of getting rid of illusions. One way is to give up on life because we have experienced too many painful disappointments. In this case we will most probably search for a hideaway where we won’t meet critical people any longer. Maybe, we only care for animals that do not disappoint us in a way only human beings can. The second way, instead, which is provided by God during our sanctification process, will NOT end in despair, nor will we bow out of life that surrounds us. Oswald Chambers helps us to discern the difference between these two possibilities.

The Teaching of Disillusionment

July 30, 2015

Jesus did not commit Himself to them…, for He knew what was in man. —John 2:24-25

Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.

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38 thoughts on “The End of Illusions or… Should We Trust Anyone?”

Should we trust anyone? Good Question. Let me answer it with some scripture verses…

“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” (Psalms 146:3-5 KJ2000)

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: if laid on the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
(Psalms 62:7-9 KJ2000)

Learning the meaning of these passages has come to me by doing it all the wrong way and putting trust in church leaders and politicians who inevitably failed me. We should only trust in God. Your Oswald Chambers quote really nailed it. To put our trust in mere humans is idolatry.

It was the same for me, my brother, I had to learn it the hard way by trusting in the wrong people, too. And in hindsight I can see that I did hear God’s still and small voice at first, but finally it seemed to be more convincing what others told me again and again. It is so easy to drown out the Holy Spirit’s gentle “nudgings”, isn’t it…? 😦 But now we know it better, thank God! 🙂

Your choice of Scriptures was great and I only want to add another one which might even sound quite harsh in the beginning.

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:5-8 ESV)

Wow, Susanne! I never saw the cause and effect of how I ended up in the wilderness and what that lesson was fully about until just now! I read it in your verse…

Cause:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

Effect:“He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.”

Lesson learned and the effect of God’s correcting hand: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

It has been a long process, hasn’t it? But it is worth it. God bless you, dear sister! ❤

Either I’m not completely understanding this, or I don’t see it in so black and white terms. I gave up on life 8 years ago, but I’m perhaps no more overly critical of others than anyone else.

My friend has very little tolerance for a lot of people, including ones who don’t bother me at all. On the other hand, I have tolerance for people that 99% of others (definitely not exaggerating here!!!) would not be able to stand, although in such extreme cases it is trying for even me, as I’m only human and cannot claim to be especially gifted in loving others.

It’s not just “tolerance” I have for others of course, I try my best to be patient with people and be kind to them. I’m extremely poor at socialising, so I don’t have much else to work with – unless they’re in similar circumstances to myself, which is rare. I’m hoping in future this won’t be a barrier, but for now it’s one not related to being critical of others.

My ethos is if I can’t be happy/joyful myself, I might as well make others happy – after all, it takes surprisingly little effort to go a long way with others. I guess because most people are too busy or self absorbed to even think about things or needs that matter to others.

James, it seems to me that you are, contrary to what you wrote, good at socialising.

With giving up on life I rather meant giving up on social life with other people than on giving up on life itself (suicidal thoughts, for example).
I guess I should have been more precise in my wording above. Thanks for bringing that thought to my attention, dear brother! 🙂

I see…I’ve sort of given up on social life “in real life”, but it’s mostly always been unavailable to me, and I normally can’t go out on my own. Partially because I’m not motivated enough to meet with others, but I don’t get much meaningful communication in real life. I don’t grudge others who can’t give me that, but it’s too much effort sometimes to meet with non-close friends when living with depression.

I understand, James. That is so sad, indeed. I suffered from (bipolar) depression between 2000 and 2008 and I have come to realize that there are still parts inside me that need to be healed. Also, our daughter who just turned 18 and still lives with us is deeply depressive, too. I also know that it is almost impossible to meet with others who do not understand this disease where you feel at times completely disconnected from the world around you and from those who give you “good advice” as to what you should do and what to avoid. “Doing” anything does not change the heart condition, does it – ever…

Thank you all for the writings. We trust God. Do we trust others? Do we have a choice to trust others or not to trust others?

In late 1998 and early 1999, my youngest child was in a battle with cancer in both lungs, his neck, and leg. He was an adult with a wife and they were expecting their first child. His situation required making decisions. The decisions were critical to his health (so it would seem). I had a lack of peace concerning some of the decisions until I realized that I could trust Jesus in Flint to make decisions. My peace returned. If we can trust Jesus in ourselves, we can trust Him in others. He is the only trustworthy One.

Yes, Jesus is the only trustworthy One, the only man who is trustworthy, so to speak. And if we trust God, we can trust Him in others too. We can trust Him to warn us if we should not trust in a certain person. As for me, I can say that He did it rather often lately.

I recall that your son did not only suffer from cancer once, wasn’t it three or even five times (you wrote about it on my blog before)?
I imagine that it was a very hard time for you and Bernie, no doubt about that!!! Our daughter has had suicidal tendencies for some years now and that is not always easy, either.

Our son Flint had so many bouts, that I did not try to count them. Pat has done a better job. Several things about it that I personally remember:
When he first had it at 7 months. He had 1 yr of chemo: every 2 wks I think> My associate who was to give it left town. SO, I HAD TO GIVE IT THE LAST 3 MONTHS. I felt God helped us with this: #1 He had to get stuck for lab work before treatment each time. IT WAS SUCH LIKE HE HAD TO GET IT FOR THE FIRST TIME! In other words, “(NO CRYING OUT IN FEAR LIKE MANY KIDS I HAVE TREATED. THESE BEGAN TO CRY THE NEXT TIME SEEN AND DID NOT QUIT TILL LEFT THE OFFICE) WHEN I STUCK HIM: ONLY A WHIMPER.#2 THE MOST AMAZING THING ALSO,: HE HAD A VEIN IN HIS SCALP WHERE 2 VEINS CAME TOGETHER. SO, IT WAS LARGER THAN USUAL. IT ALWAYS STAYED OPEN FOR ME TO GIVE THE RX.( SOME VEINS CLOSE OVER WITH SCARING AFTER CORROSIVE RXES ARE GIVEN) NOT WITH HIS! THANK GOD!

Well, sure, in your case you not only remember his suffering as a father, but as a medical practitioner, too. I am glad to hear that you have such a courageous son. Children are very different from one another. These anxiety attacks when you know pain is ahead is something many children have and even as adults they can hardly surpress these reactions. Some still feel it when they are very old people. I think it’s a matter of personality. If God does not take it away, it remains stuck in them.

Thank God that Flint was healed, became a medical practitioner too, and even studied for a short time in Germany (as far as I remember). 😉

YOU MAY KNOW THAT CANCERS ARE GIVEN A STAGE #. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD STAGE 4 WHICH IS COMMON. THESE STAGES ARE GIVEN WITH PROGNOSIS OF MAY RETURN BEFORE 5 YEARS: 10 YRS. When Flint finished his 1st yrs, treatment we were guaranteed that it WOULD NEVER COME BACK. IT DID NOT UN TIL HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD! The books say: “NEVER AFTER 10 YRS!. WE KNOW IT WAS THE SAME CANCER WHEN
COMPARED WITH THE SLIDES FROM THE 7 MONTHS ONE. I believe, I know why it came back. He was in college and a professor was giving him a HARD TIME TO ACCEPT A THESIS. THIS CAUSED STRESS.
I know one person who went thru a nasty divorce. SOON THERE AFTER, SHE HAD A KILLING BREAST CANCER.I am told that we all get cancer cells frequently. HOWEVER, OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM KEEPS THEM KILLED. BUT STRESS COULD AFFECT OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM ADVERSLY!

Yes, I heard about that theory too, that is, about stress suppressing the activity of our immune system so much that cancer cells can spread more than ususal. Well, I think a doctor who gives “guarantees”, I would not really trust, to be honest (made some bad experiences with doctors as well). Since those years until cancer might return or not are nothing but statistical projection, empirical values that do not work well for every individual human being.

Ephesians 3 verse 19 says it all–Might YOU experience the loving-kindness of Christ(even though it is too great to understand) FULLY –Then repeat-Then YOU will be totally full of real life and empowerment that comes out of God.—this is the only good trust there is—everything else is a matrix.

I’m not so sure reality is so different as in the film “The Matrix”. If I’d never seen the film (I watched the first one once), then I’d probably have came to similar conclusions. That (quantum) computers can function in Quantum reality and in our reality simultaneously sounds incredibly suspicious. There are even things about computers that aren’t quantum ones which I could say, but it would scare people 😛 My point is that the end game of computer technology appears to function in the spiritual realm and the spiritual realm can affect ours through it, and this is not coincidence, and is clearly engineered.

I had a dream several years back, and in the dream “aliens” had came to earth and invaded. I saw no actual “aliens” in the dream that did not look human. It seemed that the real invasion was over the minds of people, and they did this by turning people into robots which were zombie-like and did the command of whichever hierarchy was controlling them. I’m pretty sure I hadn’t even heard of transhumanism back then.

Neo: The Matrix.
Morpheus: Do you want to know…what it is?
[Neo nods]
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work…when you go to church…when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: [leans in closer to Neo] That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.

And this is part of how the Matrix (Satan’s control over the world system) works…

Morpheus: “The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.”

Yes, Susanne, if we were all honest, we would be saying the same thing. We need to be praying for one another and never judging. God really DOES want us to become that NEW creation IN Christ! And if we ask Him for bread, He will not give us a stone for He is a GOOD Father.

I wanted to answer your question concerning Flint. He had his first cancer diagnosis at 7 months of age with surgery and chemotherapy as a result. 20 years later he had a reoccurrence, more surgery and radiation. Then the 3rd battle over 5 years later. Then as time passed 4 more battles, 7 battles in all. I don’t want to elaborate on your blog, but if there is an email address that I could write to you a letter, I would like to do so.

This post made me think of the Parable of the Sower. You will remember that some of the seed which is the word of God falls “among thorns”. For these men and women, the cares of the world choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4: 18). Disillusionment is so common among people today. Read or watch the news with any regularity, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil in the world. It is precisely the first option you discuss. For true hope, we must raise our eyes to heaven.

Indeed, the news won’t give us hope, Anna, that this world would get better at some point. Quite the contrary! The more about (negative) sensations, wars, cruelties, and monstrosities, the higher the ratings of TV and newspapers.

Yes, true hope can only come from above when we raise our eyes to heaven. Well said! 🙂

I really enjoyed reading the above post and had experienced some of those things. Eeek. I sought solitude for a long time hiding from society as a whole because I did not know whom to trust and plus I did not even know who I was anymore. And then that was because I was too trusting and yet suspicious as well. Well, like James said above I don’t have the means to get around as much but now desire to commune with others. But because of my isolation, I can only relate to people who have been in the same shoes as I. I have only begun to trust reading the Word again without feeling condemned for being such a failure. I know I have mentioned this before but I didn’t even want to be seen because I hated what I had become. Like the scriptures written above the “cause and effects”. I became a desolation and was rebuked by another online person who said that I was making scriptures about myself. But I was only relating to it. But it was not safe for me at that time to read. It pricked my being. I really thought I was doomed. Of course if you mention this to any mental health person they would just put another label on you. I couldn’t trust anyone or anything and just prayed and hoped for God to deliver me because I just knew that no human being could. I almost did give up. Over 3 and 1/2 years for me was way too much torment. I couldn’t speak because I no longer knew anything but yet it was still in the back of my mind. Thank you and Michael that I finally found you that gives me hope and to realize that I can still understand the language that you speak but still wouldn’t know how to explain it fully. But I do feel as though life has breathed back into me. Although now more than ever I still have a long ways to go. I am noticing that I still don’t really want to wake up in the morning. But that could very well mean that I have let go of a habit that I had been dependent on for years. And honestly speaking I miss it. I feel as though I am feeling disconnected again. Is that another form of dying to some kind of fleshly thing? Dying to self?

I am glad you found this post helpful, Stacey, and that Michael’s and my writings gave you back some hope.

Honestly, I don’t know what it might be you are just going through, Stacey. Sometimes it would be wonderful if we could simply ask God and get an immediate explanation about such disturbing experiences. But alas, that is not the way the cookie crumbles in the kingdom of God… 😦 That process until we have finally reached the goal and see Him as He really is, is indeed extremely long and we never know exactly where we are right now. We can only sense that it is not yet over if fears, confusion, and darkness still surround us (even on the inside).

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FEAR NOT…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17 ESV)

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